Steel Wolf: Opening Act
by GrayKnight3445
Summary: The fist part of the reclamation of a City along the Mediterranean coast known as Athens.
1. Chapter 1

_July 1st, A.D. 3000/Earth Campaign/Earth Orbit over the Eastern Hemisphere/Battleship Knightly Lance_

"Admiral," Crewman Richards stated, "Mars Command says that our sentries at Pluto have spotted Ferdgard ships entering the system."

Admiral Emily Crossington looked away from the 3-D holographic tactical table and turned to Richards. She hated it when someone threw a rogue into her plan. Especially when the fleet was as vulnerable as it was now. Her fleet was in the middle of launching a space born invasion, and a Ferdgard fleet would be disastrous right now.

"How big?" she asked, dreading Richard`s reply.

Richards looked back at his screen. "Admiral Davanda says that the enemy fleet is about twelve ships, mostly cruisers and frigates, plus something really big, ma'am. Should I order the fleet to prepare for combat?"

Emily unclenched her hands as relief washed over her. The Mars Fleet numbered over fifty ships, there was no way a fleet of their size could breach the Mars line.

"No Crewman, continue with the operation. The Mars fleet will take care of them."

"Yes ma`am," Richards replied.

"Admiral," a crewman by the tactical table started, "Incoming transmission from the _Restless Night_, audio only."

Emily nodded, "Put it through."

"Admiral Crossington," General Patton`s impatience voice said as it emanated from speakers hidden in the tactical table," first wave is in position and all escorts accounted for. Requesting permission to launch."

"Permission granted, but be advised, Mars fleet has spotted an enemy fleet incoming, but thye have it under wraps."

"Copy, Patton out."

_Damn it, you had better not screw this up you pompous ass_. Emily thought. So much was riding on this campaign; defeat on Earth was not an option. And all she could so was pray that Patton didn`t jeopardize the mission.

"Helmsman, begin decent operations. Lieutenant Jainkt, order the first wave to move forward," Patton told his bridge crew when he had stopped the transmission.

'_Bout bloody time_, Patton thought as the crew of the _Restless Night_ prepared the corvette for atmospheric entry. He looked at the tactical table, observing the formations of massive carriers containing entire battalions of armored units and the more numerous but smaller transports that contained elements of the 653rd Atlantean Mobile Infantry Division as swarms of fighter craft acting escort darted between them.

"Sir, all sections report ready for drop."

"Excellent," Patton replied, "begin drop."

_The Opening Act has begun_, Patton thought as he took his seat next to the Captain`s Chair. _And I will be the one on top at the finale._


	2. Chapter 2

July 1st, A.D. 3000/Earth Campaign/Earth Orbit over the Eastern Hemisphere/Drop ship Bravo Seven

_Please God, please end this fucking nightmare_, Private John "Johnny" Williams thought as he ears continued to metaphorically bleed from the horrid noise that was heavy metal.

"Lieutenant, can we please turn off this noise?" he asked.

Lieutenant Victor Weaver, or simply Ell Tee, the commanding officer of 21st platoon, a mischievous grin etched onto his face. "Turn it off? Noise? Johnny, may I call you Johnny? This 'noise' is your part of our history. Heavy metal has been one of humanity`s greatest creations! And you wanna turn it off," the Ell Tee took a breath, choosing his words.

"Now Johnny I can understand your metal virginity, but metal is a vital part of this unit. It`s been a tradition for almost two hundred years. But to be fair, let`s put it up to a vote. You guys think we should turn of this horrid noise of hell?"

The entire cabin, including the pilots, booed.

"Well there you go Johnny. But, I`ll bet that you haven`t even gotten an official welcome yet, have you?"

"No sir," Johnny replied. "I was immediately transferred to this brigade when the _Never Ending Nightmare_ went down with almost the entire division was during the ambush near Titan."

"Well that sucks," someone in the back of the cabin said.

"Damned shame," the Ell Tee replied. "I am really sorry for you, musta been horrible…wait, how`d you survive? Just asking?"

"I got to an escape pod with two of the crew. We launched from the ship in time, but some shrapnel blew it wide open. I already had my helmet on then, but the other two dropped their when we were running for the pod. I activated my beacon and got picked up by a shuttle from the _Ulysses Grant_."

Everybody was silent, filled with pity for Johnny`s story.

"I am honestly sorry for you," the Ell Tee said. "But the pasts the past. Si let me lighten the mood with a little semiofficial welcoming party. Welcome, private Williams, to the Captain Vickers` Head Banger Brigade! Long hair not required."

Everybody cheered. "Jee Day," someone yelled," play something classic for our new metal head here!"

"Got it dude," one of the pilots said as more of the god awful excuse for music blasted over the loud speakers surrounding the cabin. Plus people were singing along, and very loudly at that. And the two guys sitting on either side of Johnny slapped him on the back.

_It`s not as bad the second time around_, Johnny thought as he began to tap his foot on the metal floor.

"Damn, that's gotta one of the worse ways to die," Jerry said to his copilot, Richard "Dee Jay".

"Oh yeah," Dee Jay replied," I once saw this one guy get blown out an air lock and implode. You don`t forget shit like that."

"Wow, that's pretty fucked up" Jerry said, but then something crossed his mind. "Wonder when C&C will give the go sign."

"I don`t know, all I know is that i`m enjoying the peace and…"

"All units, mission is a-go," a C&C operator on the _Restless Night_ said over the radio," I repeat, mission is a-go."

" Now," Jerry finished. "This is gonna get fun, you give the metal heads the good news."

"So much for the initiation party people," Dee Jay said over the loud speakers as Jerry fired up the drop ships engines. "We just got the green light. Better power up before we hit atmo."

"You heard the man," boomed the Ell Tee while the drop ship began to hum as the engines fired up., " Party`s over! Time to power up!"

Johnny pressed a button on a touch pad on the side of his helmet.

Micro Fusion Generator online.

Power up for all primary and secondary systems beginning.

Logistics Matrix online.

Smart System online.

Ammunition Monitor Online.

Identification Friend or Foe (IFF) system online.

Squad Communications online.

Platoon Communications online.

Long Range Communications online.

Internal/ External Temperature Monitor online.

Medical Analyzation and Administering Systems (MAAS) online.

Targeting Retical online.

Heads-up Display (HUD) online.

Squad and Platoon Vital Signs Monitor online.

Global Posistioning System (GPS) online.

Connecting to Atlantean Battlenet.

Real-time data stream connection made.

Power up for Heracles Tactical Powered Combat Armor (Standard Soldier Variant) complete.

Have a nice day.

The power up took less than seven seconds.

Johnny accessed the battlenet, checking the positions of his ship and that of the rest of the first wave. His HUD turned into a tactical map in a blink of an eye as real time data feeds streamed into his armors built in computer. Johnny saw that his infantry transport, along with the rest of the transports carrying the Head Banger Brigade.

"Sir, I can`t locate the Earthborne units that`ll be supporting us in this op on the battlnet," he reported to Weaver.

"We`ll be meeting them once we hit the ground," Weaver replied. "Our contact is Major Hawkins from the DSR squadron that was downed scouting here. He`ll link us up with the Resistance."

"We`ve breached the Thermosphere people and approaching Mesosphere."

"Damn," Private Robby Ferman, a skeleton of a man that wielded a XM-21B assault rifle and had an Italian accent, said. Completely ignoring Dee Jay said. "I feel sorry for the bastard, being stuck in this hell hole, and why are we here anyway Boss?"

"We are here to 'free our fellow humans from the oppression of the Alien aggressors, and to liberate every human colony from their horrid grip.'" Weaver quoted perfectly. "Now for the no bullshit version; we`re here to liberate this planet for political reasons and to raise the morale of the populace, that explain it?"

"Yeah Boss," Robby said, like he did when the Lieutenant was chastising him.

Mesosphere breached," Jee Jay stated, though nobody seemed to hear him. "we are now approaching the Stratosphere."

"Oh, and please don`t insult the planet," Ell Tee continued," it`s got sentimental value to the Council. Plus the locals might not appreciate it. Got it?"

"Yes Boss," Robby replied like a bored child said to a scolding mother, "do you want me to give them hug too?"

"Just shut up and do your job smart ass."

While the Lieutenant and Robby had their little "conversation," Johnny was thinking about his friend, Alex Jymes. Alex had been born on Earth, but that was as much he knew about him. Johnny`s father, Captain Ramsey Williams of the 59th Armored Battalion, had found Alex when he was ten years old. He saved Ramsey`s life when human traitors had tried to assassinate him, and Ramsey sent Alex home to Atlantis in return, adopting him.

It was a cold Christmas Eve when Johnny brought Alex home from the spaceport. Johnny had a sister, May Williams, and she took an immediate interest in him. The two were inseparable as kids, the best of friends, and found love in each other during their teen years. Johnny was two years older than Alex and became a big brother-like figure to him, guiding him through the years he lived under his mother`s roof. he was a natural worker, with the brain of a scientist. Johnny`s mother liked him a lot. When johnny`s father died, they all decided to sign up for service. They kept what they signed up for secret from each other for reasons Johnny couldn`t remember.

Johnny wondered where Jaybin and May were right now, and he would have continued on if Dee Jay hadn`t made an announcement.

"Ten seconds `till we hit the troposphere, get ready for some flack," he said.

_Yes_, thought Johnny, _these bastards won`t stand a chance_.

"Three," he counted down, "two, one! We`ve hit…"

The ship rocked. "What the fuck was that?" someone yelled.

"Holy shit!" Jerry yelled as the lead drop ship burst in a ball of fire as laser beams fired from Athens suburbs. "Didn`t heard anything about beam cannons in the briefing."

"Hold on people, we`ve got enemy fire incoming," Dee Jay said to the fifty, probably worried, soldiers in the passenger cabin.

"Damn it," Jerry swore. "This thing wasn`t made for quick maneuvers."

Dee Jay looked out of the side window, only to see another drop ship burst in flame, rocking his ship with the shockwave of its death. But then the ship rocked even more violently, and an alarm started chirping.

"Fuck!" Dee Jay cursed. "We`ve lost almost everything our port side!"

"We`ve been hit!" Jerry said over the intercom. "Brace for impact!"


End file.
